Fire-escape



(NoModeL) T. F. BROWDER.

FIRE ESCAPE.

Patented Aug 2, 1887 W I d a I I I I 1 a I w I I I d fn/snm M .W-Lflffyi if m.

N. PErERs, mummno ra her, Wax on. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT O FICE.

THOMAS F. BRONDER, OF GREENFIELD, OHIO.

FiRE-E SCAP E.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 367,362, dated August 2, 1887.

Application filed May 13, 1887.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS F. BRowDER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greenfield, in the county of Highland and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fire-Escapes; and T do declare the following to be a fnl1,clear, and 0X- act description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled inthe art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters'and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification. a

This invention relates to fireescapes, and is principally designed as an improvement of that class which are placed to receive persons jumping from burning structures in the event of all other means of escape being cut off.

The object of the invention is the construction of a fire-escape of the type above noted, which will belight and of suffieient area to subserve the purpose intended, and which will combine simplicity, strength, and efficiency, together with capabilities of being packed in a small compass, so as to occupy a minimum amount of storage room, and which can be readily and quickly set up for use.

The improvement consists in the novel features of construction, hereinafter more fully set forth, claimed, and shown in the annexed drawings, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of a fire-escape of my construction embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a side view, the lower portion of the supports being broken away; Fig. 3, a section on the line so a: of Fig. 1, showing the device reduced to practice; and Fig. 4, a view showing the device folded.

The device is composed ofthe frame, which may be of any desired outline and pattern, the blanket, and provisions or swinging yielding connections interposed between and uniting the blanket and frame. The frame is preferably circular in form and is composed of a number of sections, two being shown, A and A, which are held together by the couplings a and a, secured at one end of the sections and adapted to receive the approximate ends of the other sections, which are slipped in the. free ends of the couplings and are held therein by Serial No. 238,105. (No model.)

the keys 0. It is tubular,aud by reason of its circular form the strain is evenly distributed and the frame is not liable to collapse or bend. Moreover, the strain comes nearly equal on all the connections and on every part of the lanket. This equal distribution of the shock to each and every part of the device is of vital importance, as it diminishes the chances of injury to the person in that, all parts of the structure being subjected to an equal strain, one partis not moreliableto give than another.

The blanket D may be of any suitable fabric, single, double, or any number thick, which may be quilted together,and is of a form corresponding to the outline of the frame. It is provided at intervals with the tapes or loops by which and provisions, presently to be described, it is connected with the frame. The yielding connections E, interposed between and uniting the blanket with the frame,are fixedly secured at their upper ends to the frame and are yieldingly connected with the blanket in such manner that the blanket will normally be distended to its full area,and in practice will give or sag between itsedges when receiving. a heavy object. They are composed of swinging hangers or eyebolts F, having their upper ends mounted upon the frame and their lower ends threaded and provided with nuts f, the cross-heads G, placed upon the hangers and adapted to slide longitudinally thereon, and the coil-springs g, surrounding thehangers or bolts and located between the cross heads G and the nuts f. The cross-heads are simply apertured blocks having grooved edges which receive the loops or tapes.

In practice the springs 9 support the blanket and hold it closeup to the frame, and the tension of the springs can be regulated by the nuts f. r The hangers depend from the framein vertical lines, and, being weighty, hold the blanket distended; but when a weight is placed Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, with the frame and the blanket, of the hangers loosely connected with said frame at their upper ends and having their lower ends free and adapted to swing toward the center of the frame and means for yieldingly connecting the blanket with said hangers, whereby when a weight is superimposed upon the blanket its connections with the hangers will yield and the lower ends of the hangers will approach or swing inward, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination, with the frame and the blanket, of the hangers loosely connected at their upper ends with the frame and having their lower ends free to swing inward, the cross-heads connected with the blanket and mounted on the hangers, and the springs held to the hangers and supporting the cross-heads, substantially as specified, for the purpose described.

3. The combination, with the frame and the blanket, of the hangers, the cross-heads, the springs,and the nuts for adjusting the tension of the springs, substantially as specified.

4. The combination, with the frame made in sections and the couplings for securing the sections together, having one end secured to the end of one of the sections and the free ends slipped over the ends of the other sections, of the blanket and the yielding connections uniting the blanket and frame, substantially as set forth.

The combination, with the frame made in sections, the couplings secured at one end to one of thesections and having its other end slipped over the approximate end of the other section, and the keys passed through the couplings and the ends of the sections loosely fitted in the couplings, of the blanket and the yielding connections uniting the blanket and frame, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination of the circular frame and the circular blanket, and the yielding connections interposed between and uniting the frame and the blanket, whereby the strain is equally distributed on all parts of the blanket and frame and the yielding connections are subjected to an equal tension and are free to adapt themselves to the direction of strain, substantially as described. I

7. The combination, with the circular frame made in sections and having the approximate ends of the sections connected by separable couplings, and the circular blanket, of the hangers loosely connected at their upper ends with the frame, and having their lower ends free to swing inward, the cross-heads connected with the blanket and mounted on said hangers, and the springs for supporting the crossheads, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS F. BROWDER.

Vitncsses:

XV. H. IRWIN, J. F. \VILsoN. 

